No research game.

[Captin]

I just finished a game - Huge Universe, Hi AI, Medium Bonus with a restriction on myself to build NO research facilities. I allowed myself to keep ones I captured.

Loaded up on intelligence centers and had some fun. It took me about 8 years to get to Intelligence 3 with 8,000 research points per turn and was massively crew insurrecting my enemies. I dont think I built a warship after the early midgame.

A fun variant if anyone is looking.

I think I will next try a no research / no intelligence game and see if I can get by on researching ship capture only after a few years and analying ships to stay in the game. And taking planets with ground troops.

[Suicide Junkie]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I think I will next try a no research / no intelligence game and see if I can get by on researching ship capture only after a few years and analying ships to stay in the game. And taking planets with ground troops.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Alternatively, try playing as a "Neutral". Not the happiness type, but the AI type: have no fixed assets outside your home system (ships can wander a few systems out)

This way, you can get some research and intel, but not much, and both at the expense of your economy http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif.